Too much of a good thing: While technology exists to jam pack content on a page, and layer it with digital watermarks, don’t use it in such a way that it splits the reader’s attention too much. You don’t want readers feeling like they have a puzzle book that is hard to read.

When using book content online (marketing or sharing), do Copyright protect yourself by placing information in a watermark on each page/image. Visit a few examples on our website: Alexander Index (PDF), Green Index (PDF), Chute Cover (JPG)

Looking for other ways to have your manuscript “at hand”? A tablet may be a better compromise between a desk or laptop and a phone. Again, Android users can download MS Word app for free, while Windows users can access MS Word for free, while online. Many of today’s tablets can also attach keyboards, mice and wireless printers with ease while having robust memory (both speed and capacity).

QR (Quick Response) codes are Smartphone or tablet (with reader app) readable and may be used to to enrich and/or ease customer/reader interaction and experience. Some QR functionality may be inaccessible if not on an active internet connection. This type of code was envisioned as “open source”, so there are wide varieties of free and nearly free services available online: Start your search with the term “QR code generator”. Many sites that contain generators provide further free information from usage ideas to history and examples.

Even if not “going online” the information found on the noted page should be produced – as it will be invaluable to book promotion. Once produced, it can also be used (or re-used) as a press kit basis.

If the books are shipped from the publisher to the author, the heat of summer or the cold of winter will subject the books to extremes in temperature. Humidity can become a factor, even before the books are sold, especially in the summer in the south. Books stored where light from a window falls on them directly subjects them to harmful UV. Highly urban areas may have high air pollution that could affect the books. Skin itself (body oil, sweat, finger food grease, etc.), from the reader, can adversely affect the book, as well. The list can go on and on…

Offset printing involves chemicals which may overcome the buffering of the standard paper to some extent. The process takes place at room temperature with standard lighting and both sides of the page are printed at once. We use a non-oxidizing, rubber base ink (pH-N/A) rather than an oil base.

Digital Printing (generally 99 or fewer books)

The paper is subjected to high heat and light during the initial transfer process. Note it goes through this process twice for book pages, once for each side. The black powder toner seems to have quite a resistance to secondary heat sources.

The various binding processes that are employed take the same care to negate acidity as the care of paper selection noted above.

External Factors – Production

Gregath Printing Facility

Our printing plant is in a rural area with low air pollution. While we are not a “white glove” facility, our employees are kept to a “clean hands” policy, which minimizes the amount of oils on the skin (guarding against acid transfer), as well as taking precautions to further lower particulates and chemicals in the air, in-house. Our physical plant is kept at an optimum temperature with a low relative humidity (down to 45%).

All production processes (of any type) have waste, one figure listed recently in a trade publication places destroyed pieces of projects at 5-10%, we generally are much lower. This is why many publishers/printers employ the 10% rule (if you order 100, you may receive – and pay for – 110 or only 90). When you order 200 from us, we actually produce more then what it would take to produce 200 books from the beginning to be sure of delivering 200. If more than 200 are actually produced in the end, the author/customer has the option of purchasing them or the are destroyed at no additional cost to the author/customer.

Once the digital manuscript has cleared pre-press it is ready for production. The file or files are sent to the digital machine directly from the front office computers. The book block is printed out already collated. Depending on the size of the book and publication quantity, the digital files may be printed out in smaller page sequences and hand collated in preparation for binding. Additionally, special items such as 4-color, slick inserts and card dividers are added by hand as well – as required.

When deciding on what the total cost (retail) for you book is to be you need to consider not only production cost but any additional postage during manufacturing or other hidden costs as well as delivery postage to your customers (if you plan to sell “postage included”). In a genealogy or family history, it is not usually smart to try to recoup research, manuscript preparation or travel time and expense through your retail price. However, one may wish, once they have established the “break even point” and what profit margin they wish to have they might want to add in “standard wholesale”. In the book industry genre (topic, subject) wide, book stores and book dealers expect to be able to buy books at 40% off the retail sales price. If you add 40% to what you feel you need from a book, then you will be getting a basic price for wholesale sales and that basic price+40% on retail sales. This also gives you room to run special pricing if you desire such as a lower pre-publication price (discussed next month) or a sale at a family reunion, etc.